Breakfasts after a night out. Critical question – are you part of the oily/carby/shove-anything-remotely-unhealthy-down-your-gullet crew? Or do you fit in the slightly more uncommon category and, like me, shy away from any thought or smell of grease? Either way, these Apple Fritters will lure you out of bed…crisp rings of apple, encased in a sweet batter and topped with copious amounts of cinnamon sugar. Pair with a strong coffee and your day’s off to a fine start. More or less. Let’s not kid ourselves too much. The batter can be prepared ahead of time (up to twelve hours ahead) so if you’re super organised you can simply roll out of bed – quite literally if need be – dunk the apple rings in the batter and get frying. Alternatively, if you’re in no rush to head to uni/work/other such mundane obligations, the batter can be prepared on awakening and you’ve got yourself half an hour to potter about, take a dip and attempt to re-establish some sense of decorum. You really can’t go wrong with fritters.

This recipe is adapted from the culinary school I attended last year. The original recipe required the fritters to be deep-fried, however whilst they puffed up nicely, they left a greasy lining on the roof of your mouth. Yick. (Though if you’re in the former breakfast ‘party’ that may be a blessing. I won’t hold it against you.) Pan-frying produces a far more satisfying fritter – crisp on the outside, with a soft American-pancake like layer that encases a piping hot ring of apple. Roll in cinnamon sugar and you’ve got yourself one mighty fine breakfast. The fruit factor allows you to feel quite holy and healthful, when really all you’re eating is a glorified pancake. Sometimes a little self-deception is necessary folks. Like convincing yourself that sitting at your laptop automatically means you’re doing productive university work such as that forum report with an impending deadline, and not blogging and/or staring vacantly into space…

Apple Fritters
Enough for 2 hungry breakfaster’s or 4 ‘snacky’ breakfaster’s

Ingredients
2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 0.5mm thick rounds
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 tsp cinnamon plus extra for dusting
125g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
2 eggs, seperated
150ml milk
40g caster sugar, divided plus extra for dusting (mixed with ground cinnamon if you like)
Sunflower oil for frying

Method
Combine the lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the sliced apple rings and use your hands ensure that each surface is well coated. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Whisk together the flour and 25g of the sugar in a large bowl. Set aside. Beat together the yolks and milk. Gradually pour the liquid mixture into the flour, beating constantly with a balloon whisk or wooden spoon to combine. Try not to over mix – you just don’t want any pockets of flour remaining. Cover with cling film and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes (and up to 12 hours if necessary).

Just before you plan to cook the fritters, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Whisk in the remaining 25g of sugar.

Use a large metal spoon to gently fold the egg whites into the batter, 1/3 at a time, employing a large scooping motion to limit the loss of air.

Have your production line ready – marinated apples then a plate of flour for dusting then your batter then the frying pan then a plate with cinnamon-sugar mixture (optional) and then a last plate covered in kitchen towel. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot add about 20ml of oil. Dust each apple ring in flour and then dip into the batter, giving it one or two shakes to get rid of some of the excess. Lower into the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes until the base is golden brown and edges are beginning to set. Flip over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture if using and then transfer to the kitchen paper whilst you cook the remaining fritters.

Best served straight away, however will keep for up to 24 hours if refrigerated in an airtight container. Suitable to eat warm or cold.

Source: Adapted from Sydney’s Northern Institute TAFE (Culinary College)

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